Veterans & Military Service Members / Financial Aid / Admissions & Aid / Westminster College

Westminster College welcomes men and women who have served in our country's military services. Our counselors work with veterans, active duty personnel, reservists, and dependents to help ensure they receive maximum tuition benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense and Armed Forces.

Westminster College's traditional undergraduate, adult studies, and graduate programs are approved for GI education benefits and military tuition assistance by veterans, active duty personnel, or qualifying dependents. Westminster College participates in the Yellow Ribbon program.

College Credit for Military Education

Veterans and those currently in the military service may be eligible to receive undergraduate elective credit for Basic Training and formal education gained in the military. Westminster College follows the credit recommendations in the American Council on Education (ACE) Military Guide. Eligible credits will be determined by the Registrar upon review of an official Joint Services Transcript (JST).

College Credit for CLEP/DANTES

Westminster College awards college credit for passing scores on CLEP/DANTES exams in relevant subject areas. The College Board will provide military service members with transcripts that document CLEP exam results.

Tuition Assistance Program

If you are currently on active duty, National Guard or a Reservist you may be eligible for funding through the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance program.

Service members will apply for approval through their Education Services Officer or an online virtual education center specifically for their branch of the military. The service member must be approved prior to enrolling in a course. Each branch has its own tuition assistance application process and you may be required to complete an education plan or orientation.

Military Tuition Assistance Top-up

To be eligible you must be approved by your branch of the military and be eligible for the Post-911 GI Bill® or the Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty benefits. See your education services officer and submit a VA Form 22-1990 to your VA Regional Processing Office for approval. For more information please visit https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/tuition_assistance.asp.

Individual military service branch websites provide information regarding how to apply for military tuition assistance. Please use the following links to check on your eligibility.

Montgomery GI Bill® and Other VA Programs

www.gibill.va.gov is an excellent source for Veteran's information. You can easily navigate the site to find information regarding the various VA programs. Some of the programs included are the Montgomery GI Bill®-Active Duty (Chapter 30), Montgomery GI Bill® - Selective Reserve (Chapter 1606), Veteran Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31), the Veterans Education Assistance Program (VEAP; Chapter 32) and other educational benefits for Survivors' and Dependents Educational Assistance Program (DEA; Chapter 35). If you are a child of a member of the Armed Forces that died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001 you may be eligible for benefits under the Marine Gunnery John David Fry Scholarship Program.

Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33)

To qualify for the Post-911 GI Bill® you must have at least 90 days of aggregate service after September 10, 2001 or honorably discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 continuous days following September 10, 2001. Go to https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_gibill.asp for additional information about the Post-911 program.

Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program)

If you qualify for 100% of the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, you qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program. The Yellow Ribbon Program allows colleges and universities to enter into an agreement with the Veterans Affairs to fund tuition and fees. Therefore the student not only receives funds from the VA but the school will match the contribution by 50% of the difference after the cap. To qualify you must serve in an aggregate period of active duty of at least 36 months after September 10, 2001 and be honorably discharged. Or if you are a dependent of an eligible Service Member they can transfer their benefits to you. To check your eligibility or complete the Transfer of Entitlement form, please visit the https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/yellow_ribbon.asp website.

To assist you in finding the VA program in which you qualify you can use the benefit comparison tool by clicking the following link: https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/comparison_tool.asp. If you qualify for more than one program you must choose the program that suits your education needs.

The amount of tuition and fees, housing allowance and book stipend depend on the amount of time in which you have served.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill

Other Financial Aid

Once you receive notification of your specific VA Program, you may find that you still need additional funding for your education. At that point you may decide to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. This can be done at www.fafsa.gov. By entering the Westminster College Title IV code of 003392, a copy of your completed FAFSA form will be sent to our institution. We will in turn send you an award letter listing your specific financial aid offer. Some of the various types of financial aid that you may qualify for would be Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), State Grants, Federal Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans.

Federal Pell Grants are a program designed to aid students with financial need. This is a grant and not a loan therefore it does not need to be repaid. The amount of the awarded Pell Grant is based on your family contribution which is calculated from your information listed on the FAFSA form. The maximum Pell Grant amount for the 2024-2025 academic year is $7,395. The College does not award the Pell Grant.

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is awarded to aid students with exceptional financial need. A student must be registered at least half time and academic progress is required for renewal. This is a non-repayable grant.

State Grants are non-repayable awards based on financial need and full time student status. If you live in Pennsylvania you must file the FAFSA form by May 1st to be considered for this award.

Federal Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans have fixed interest rates and are determined by the students need. Repayment begins six months after a student ceases to be enrolled at least half time. The student has ten years to repay the loan. A Subsidized Stafford Loan is awarded on the basis of financial need. You are not charged any interest while you are enrolled in school at least half time, during a grace period, or during authorized periods of deferment. An Unsubsidized Stafford Loan is not awarded on the basis of need. You have an option of paying the interest while you are in school or deferring the loan until repayment. You will be charged interest from the time the loan is disbursed until it is paid in full.

For the current academic year, the maximum annual amounts for full-time dependent undergraduates enrolled in a program of study are:

First-year $3,500 subsidized, $2,000 unsubsidized
Second-year $4,500, subsidized, $2,000 unsubsidized
Third-year $5,500, subsidized, $2,000 unsubsidized
Fourth-year $5,500, subsidized, $2,000 unsubsidized

If you are a full-time independent undergraduate student you may receive an additional $4,000 at the freshman and sophomore level and an additional $5,000 for your junior and senior years in Unsubsidized Stafford Loan.

The maximum aggregate amount is currently $31,000, but only $23,000 of this amount may be in Subsidized Stafford Loans for an undergraduate dependent student. The maximum amount for an undergraduate independent student is $57,500 with no more than $23,000 in Subsidized Stafford Loans. A graduate student may borrow up to $20,500 each academic year in Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. The maximum aggregate amount is currently $138,500. A graduate student may not have any more than $65,500 in total Subsidized Stafford Loan. The graduate debt limit includes any Stafford Loans received for undergraduate study.

The 2024-2025 interest rate on the Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans for Undergraduate Students is fixed at 6.53%.

Private Education College Loans

There are a number of privately funded loan programs that provide funds to credit worthy students. Most undergraduate students will need a qualified co-signer. Although the interest rates and terms may not be as generous as the Federal Loan programs, some students and their parents may be interested in this type of borrowing. Students are strongly encouraged to pursue the lower cost federal loans before private loans.

Below is a list of lenders that Westminster College students have chosen over the past three years. This list is not exclusive and any lender may be used even if they are not listed:

Private Lenders:

Ascent

Citizens

College Avenue

Earnest

LendKey

MEFA

PA Forward

PNC Bank

Sallie Mae

Sofi

Federal Credit Unions:

Butler Armco Federal Credit Union

Clearview Federal Credit Union

Frankenmuth Federal Credit Union

Pennsylvania State Employees

Priority First Federal Credit Union

Utilities Federal Credit Union

The maximum amount of additional loan a student can borrow is the annual cost of attendance (tuition, fees, room, board, books and personal expense allowance) less the financial aid the student is receiving for the academic year.

Readmission and Refund Policies Due to Service Obligations

If a student is called to military service during a semester, the student will be granted a leave of absence from the College and will not be penalized financially as a result. If the student chooses to withdraw from courses (academic record shows a “M” for all courses), tuition and fees will be refunded for the semester. If the student has completed sufficient work to qualify for incomplete grades as determined by the Registrar (academic record shows an “I” for all courses), the student may return at a future date to complete the courses with tuition and fees already paid. With either option, food and housing (if applicable) will be prorated on a percentage basis through the effective date of the leave of absence.

Students who take a leave of absence for service related reasons will be readmitted with the same academic status as he or she had when last attending or being admitted to Westminster College. State law requires colleges or universities to grant a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard or other reserve component of the armed forces or the member’s spouse a military leave of absence from their education if he or she is called to active duty (other than active duty for training). The grade transcript for all classes shall show an “M” or “Military” to indicate that the military member or his/her spouse was unable to complete courses because of military service. A grade of “M” is not counted in a student’s GPA.

How to Use Your GI Bill® Benefits and Military Tuition Assistance at Westminster College

Veterans Affairs requires a completed VA Form 22-1990, to apply for educational benefits under Chapter 30, Chapters 1606, Chapter 33, Chapter 35 and Chapter 31. The form can be completed online at the Veterans Online Application (VONAPP) https://www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/ website.
Westminster applicants who are applying for or have already been approved for the Montgomery GI Bill® education benefits or military tuition assistance need to contact the Westminster College Financial Aid Office for assistance in using their benefits at (724) 946-7102.